Regalia REMIXED
by Kurogane7
Summary: AU: Uzumaki Naruto has been chosen to be the reincarnation of the Rider-class Servant Odin. As he grows up, he shall become a worthy enough successor to the All-Father. How will his life be like now? Rider!Naruto, NarutoXHarem (will try to limit to 15-20, but I won't go higher than 30), Genderbends (I'm not discriminating), OC's (will be limited to Servants).
1. Reincarnation

_**A/N: As promised, this story has been remixed by yours truly. I had started up a bit of interest on it with my iPad while I was going from…was it Florence to Rome? I'm pretty sure it was Florence to Rome. I will not lie to you; there will be gender-benders, and Hinata will indeed be part of the harem (those of you who are NaruHina haters, please; no useless reviews). I don't intend for her to be all 'N-N-Naruto-kun' at all. Anyway, since this is the first chapter in this little venture, the number of reviews I get will determine if it's worth pursuing, so do read and review would you kindly?**_

…

{Play: "Never Forget" by Martin O'Donnel, from "Halo 2"}

[Somewhere near Konohagakure no Sato]

Silence reigned as a lone figure walked through the woods alone, wearing flowing robes and a tall, pointed cap. Only the sound of crickets and cicadas chirping could be heard with each step taken. The iron grey beard, wrinkled complexion, and the fact that he was supporting himself on a long spear, gave the impression of a traveling wizard.

However, the most distinguishing feature of the old man was that he only had one eye that peeked out of long, disheveled hair. He seemed to be scanning the ground for something as he followed gigantic paw prints that only went on deeper into the woods. It wasn't too long ago since the battle with the maker of the paw prints had ended, and the old man could not help but to investigate the outcome of the fight. The Kyūbi no Yoko had rampaged through the village of Konohagakure no Sato not too long ago, taking the lives of many people.

The old man was not alone in his walk through the woods. Flanking him on both sides were a pair of large wolves. Each one with bright, greenish eyes that warned off threats with a piercing glare. Their only protection came in the form of a thick, metallic, indigo fur with a whitish-silver undercoat. They each stood at about the same size and muscle mass as a large pony, and their body proportions were such that they could fit an adult human's head in their mouths. From how much in sync their motions were, as well as how identical they appeared, it was more than obvious that they were twins born from the same litter.

Perched atop the old man's shoulders were a pair of ravens, slightly larger than the norm. Jet black feathers covered their bodies, and there was an intelligent look in their rust-colored eyes. Were it not for the moonlight reflecting off their feathers, they would have camouflaged well in the night sky. Overall, the ravens would have made for excellent spies.

The last thing following the old man was being led around by a set of leather reins; it was a mighty bronco that stood a little under seven feet tall from head to hoof. There was a majesty in his composure, as he took dignified steps on eight massive legs, clopping his steel-colored hooves on the floor. He was covered in a reddish brown coat pulled over no more than 300 pounds of highly dense and corded muscle.

After minutes of following the paw prints, the company of man and animals had found the end of the trail. They could tell this because the sound of a babe crying had marked the location of the two people he'd hoped to find. Lying face-down on top of each other was a man and a woman. The woman had claret hair that went past her waist, covering a body that the elder knew was recovering from childbirth. The man on the other hand, had short, sun-kissed hair that was tied behind his head in a ponytail. Both of them had a large, gaping hole in their abdomen.

The old man then turned his attention to the babe that had been crying his eyes out for a while now. He knew, from the similarities the boy shared with the dead man that this was the latter's son; and the appearance of the sealing array on his stomach made it clear that the boy was the damned fox's host. The old man could not help but gnash his teeth in frustration as he looked at the dead man. "I honestly have no idea whether I should be impressed or disappointed in you, my former Master. On the one hand, inefficient as your method was, I'm glad that my mentoring you in the art of seals in seems to have paid off; considering that you were able to seal the fox into your son. On the other, I am disappointed in you for orphaning your son at all, Minato; and now, because of your actions, I can't even collect your souls so that I could treat you and your lovely wife to that celebration for your love and bravery!"

After letting out a cathartic sigh, the old man calmed down. "It will cost me the rest of my Prana and my life, but I will give your son a gift." he said, rubbing his hands together, "In exchange, you and your wife will do everything in your power to support him from beyond the grave."

The old man reached into the seal array on the boy's stomach, a portal opening up over the seal. The hand disappeared into the portal, before pulling out an orange furred creature from within. It was a small fox, struggling to get out of the old man's grip. "Silence, Vixen!" he shouted, the fox beginning to tremble from the sudden outburst. He then turned his attention to the two wolves before tossing the fox to the ground. "Freki, Geri, make sure that little bitch doesn't escape. I'll get back to her soon enough."

Turning his attention back to the baby, the old man covered his hand in glowing runes that billowed in the air like the embers of a flame. Satisfied with the show of power, he then touched the boy on the seal array, forcing a bright light into his stomach. This would be done another five times, before he looked to the fox being menaced by the two large wolves. "And now for you, you hateful bitch." he said, reaching down to pick up the terrified fox by her hackles.

The fingers in old man's free hand had clenched into an open claw, creating more runes that orbited his entire arm, just as he placed it in front of the fox's face. A brilliant blue light had burned the air between his palm and fingers. As soon as he opened his fingers, the blue light was fired at the fox, knocking the vixen to the ground. She writhed in pain as muscles shifted around, giving a definitively humanoid shape. Orange fur receded to reveal olive-tanned skin on the soft, streamlined curves of a woman just shy of her thirties. Her body was athletically-built, with generous assets, and a firm ass that filled in all her curves well and added to the wild, vulpine charm of her foxy face. Her orange hair was short and spiky, like a wildfire that was swept back. She placed both hands on the ground to help herself back up. "You shall serve as the boy's first Valkyrie." declared the old man, causing the woman to look up at him with terror in her red eyes, "From this point on, you shall not leave the Reality Marble without permission. In addition to fighting for him, you are to collect the souls of warriors that have been slain in battle; starting with the ones who died fighting you. Serve him well, Kurama; you owe him at least that much, for he is your Master now."

With a snap of his fingers, the fox-woman Kurama vanished into thin air. The old man began to fade into nothingness, leaving his spear by the boy while the rest of his body had turned to dust. "Everyone, take good care of him, for he is your new master now." he said, standing back up to address the animals, "He shall be given all my skills at Rank E, but he must prove himself worthy of using my Noble Phantasms to the fullest. Bring him to the Well of Mimir when he is ready, for he shall be my reincarnation!"

The animals remained silent as they watched their master finally disappeared, his form having completely turned into dust. There would be no doubt about their loyalty, not when he had practically designated the boy to be his successor. The horse faded away into nothingness, waiting in the Reality Marble for his new master to be ready to call on his services. The wolves and ravens would make sure he grew up to be a worthy reincarnation of their master.

…

[Play: "Grandma" by Okabe Keiichi, from "Nier"]

[Konohagakure Council Chambers, half an hour later]

It was honestly too loud at this hour, and Sarutobi Hiruzen knew that all too well. It'd been a good half hour since the Hokage had been found, along with the boy that had apparently been used to seal the fox away. He had called Jinya up to inspect the seal array on Minato's son. The results of the inspection had surprised the former Hokage, as Jinya said that the seal was indeed holding the fox, but it had been changed dramatically. In addition to keeping the Kyūbi no Yokō sealed in young Naruto, the array had been changed to not only separate his chakra coils from the fox's, but to allow the fox to go free with restrictions without killing him. Also, whatever was done to the array had caused Naruto to develop a third, more extensive, and complicated circulatory system that ran parallel to his chakra coils and transported an energy that he could not identify.

When explained about the boy's situation, the council chambers were filled with the sounds of people arguing about what to do with one Uzumaki Naruto. Half of the council was roaring for his death, while other half said to let him live (with a good amount of people in the latter category that had ulterior motives).

"Kill the demon-boy!"

"Are you crazy? Killing him will probably release the fox!"

"He should be adopted, and raised good and proper!"

"Our dead need to be avenged!"

Apparently, the animals that followed Naruto to the chambers didn't take kindly to the opinions of the people that called for the boy's blood. The large wolves protected Naruto closely; each one circling around his sleeping body, snarling and snapping at anyone that dared come too close. Meanwhile, the ravens flew overhead, prepared to dive down and peck some idiot to death if they got too close to the boy with ill intent.

Earlier, several people had been killed by the animals, trying to sneak in a chance to murder Naruto in his sleep. After Hiruzen had revealed Naruto's status as a Jinchūriki, the two wolves had worked as a team to rip out the throats of a good ten people that worked up the nerve to try and kill him. Even though they hadn't made any kills, the ravens blinded three others by pecking out their eyes, leaving them to suffer in pain. Some unfortunate victims of the ravens were fortunate enough to have been put out of their misery as the wolves snapped their necks and ate them. Since then, nobody dared to go near Naruto for fear of being savaged by the animals protecting him.

"Enough of this!" cried out Hiruzen, silencing everybody in the chambers. "We are here to decide what to do with Naruto. We all know who his parents were, and that the seal has been altered enough for us to know that it gives him the ability to release the Kyūbi as he sees fit. What I want to know is, what we should do with this knowledge? I will take every suggestion into consideration."

A woman with wild, disheveled black hair stood up. Her body was made up of nothing but lean muscle, and the two red fang tattoos on her cheeks had marked her as a member of the Inuzuka clan. "I say that he needs to be adopted." she said, a sort of motherly feeling to her tone, "If he's not raised properly, then I feel that he'll become a self-fulfilling prophecy that the idiots on this council have made."

"And who's to say your motives are any better?" countered a dignified man, his black haori with the red and white fan of the Uchiha clan embroidered on the back. "You just want to adopt the boy because he's that bastard Minato's son. I'm pretty sure that one day, you'll be like a bitch in heat; since you still obviously desire a man you could never have, why not have his son instead?"

"Oh, like you're one to talk about coveting, Fūgaku!" Tsume snapped back, "I've seen the way you looked at Kushina! Me, I at least know where to draw the line, and to keep my love for Minato-kun strictly professional so as not to destroy my own marriage, and out of respect for Kushina. But you, I'm guessing you only gave Mikoto-chan the two best nights of her life while fantasizing about our best friend!"

The accusation of infidelity did not sit well with the Uchiha patriarch. What was left of his dignified appearance began to melt ever so slightly as he got even angrier. "Shut up, Bitch!"

"What do you propose then, Fūgaku?" cut off Hiruzen, stopping the conversation from being led astray. If he'd let them continue on, their squabbling would have gone on to intolerable levels, and nothing would get done.

"I propose that we put the boy in the orphanage," began Fūgaku, "he must do everything for himself." As he spoke, a good number of the civilian council members grinned very sinisterly.

"And let him get beaten up by the civilian council?" challenged Tsume, "Are you that that stupid, Fūgaku? Have you missed what those crows and she-wolves just did to anyone that tried to kill the pup? If they're protecting him like he's their own offspring, and mobs are formed, the streets will be painted in their blood."

"Not to mention the mess that such a large loss of life will cause," added Aburame Shibi, pushing his sunglasses up, "with less people alive to do their jobs, the economic backlash will be great: the circulation of the village's money will begin to slow as prices skyrocket and people begin to buy less. With fewer people at work, we will have less exports for the world, and they shall begin to command unreasonable prices. Eventually, the Hokage would be forced to increase the price of missions, as well as our taxes, in an attempt to fix our financial crisis. After that, I won't say; it is neither a reassuring prospect, nor is it logical to scare the people in the chambers more than is necessary."

While few members of the Shinobi Council understood what Shibi was going on about (some, the greater part of the Council Chambers that did understand what he was saying was dead silent. The implications of what he said were horrifying enough, that the wealthier members of the council paled as they contemplated the consequences of their actions. "I'm not saying _nobody_ is to help the boy, I just said that he must do everything himself," countered Fūgaku, regaining his composure after letting Shibi's words sink in, "he must prove himself to be a useful member of the community before anybody can help him."

"And how the hell is he supposed to learn how to do that without someone teaching him right from wrong?" shot back Tsume, "We still need to make sure he's raised right before we go on teaching him to be a 'useful member of the community.'" She then turned her attention back to the Hokage. "That's why I propose he should be adopted, so that he can learn to be part of the pack. If we just leave him in the orphanage, and word gets out about his tenant, I fear that they won't even bother to teach him anything."

"And just who do you have on mind that will take the little shit in? You? Your clan?" challenged Fūgaku, "If anything, I think it'll bring out the beast within. Besides, we all know your decision to have the brat adopted in the first place is anything but impartial. And when word gets out about the village being in shambles, combined with one of the clans taking him in, and we could very well be looking at an invasion force by our neighbors."

Everyone that supported Minato, and thus for Naruto to be adopted, could only grit their teeth in rage at Fūgaku's words. As much as they didn't want to admit it, his reasoning was sound: if word got out that Konoha was weak, even Iwa would jump at the chance for payback for what Minato did in the last war. And if they found out that Naruto was his son, the thought was just too horrifying.

"Then allow me to take the boy in," came the voice of an individual walking into the chambers. He was a bandaged, one-armed old man that supported his weight on a cane. The most distinguishing feature was that he had an x-shaped scar on his chin. "I can see to it that he is raised to be a fine shinobi."

"And risk him becoming another ROOT operative?! Are you insane Danzo?" shouted Hiruzen, "A Jinchūriki without emotions is far worse than a normal human without one! And considering the fact that we know very little about how the seal has been changed, that could be far more devastating than what had just happened tonight!"

"The boy's parentage needs to be kept a secret Hiruzen, of that we both know is true." answered Danzo, "I'm also sure that you and I both know that if he is adopted by any of the clans, it will draw unwanted attention to him. If I take him in however, I swear to you that it will be discreet; nobody will know of his parentage so long as he is under my protection. And if you so choose, you can bring in your own shinobi to keep an eye on him, with regular visits by Jinya to inspect the seal."

The deal sounded too good to be true, and Hiruzen knew full well there was a catch…there had to be. And yet, he had a feeling that he could not trust the orphanage with Naruto; for the short term, maybe, but a slip of the tongue was all it would take for his intentions to go to shit. But at the same time, he knew that having a Jinchūriki in his ROOT forces would be too good an opportunity to resist.

"I've heard enough," announced Hiruzen, "I will now announce my decision…"

…

 _ **A/N: Is it evil of me to end the first chapter in a cliffhanger? Hopefully, this will bring interest…if it doesn't, then I suppose that's one less story for me to write. Be as constructive as you can, would you kindly?**_

 _ **Also, Naruto's already been set to be a RIDER-class Servant, but other Servants will choose people to reincarnate into. Who knows? Maybe I will have familiar Servants reincarnating into particular people…like a certain ARCHER that we all know and love reincarnating into someone that fits his skills and Noble Phantasm. Your opinions matter, so if you have ideas on which Servant will reincarnate into which Naruto-verse character, I'm all ears.**_

…

 _ **Vocabulary:**_

 _ **None Yet**_

…

 _ **Cameos/References:**_

 _ **None Yet**_


	2. Eight Years Later

_**A/N:**_

 _ **Kurogane7: Honestly, is there ever going to be an asshole filter on this site? Because honestly, I can handle insults just fine; if you're going to be like the author Gen Death who not only trolled me, but took the moment to insult me, then all I have to say is that you're being stupid. At least the guest that told me why he doesn't like NaruHina pairings is professional about how he goes about telling me (props to you).**_

 _ **But overall, if I haven't made it clear enough, I will make it clearer now: if you have nothing nice or useful to say about the story, then please don't say anything at all. It says to me that you are stupid for even wasting your time to write such a useless review as "all your stories suck", "you're a hack writer", or even "this is a NaruHina, this is boring, I won't read it anymore".**_

 _ **Otherwise, do read and review, would you kindly?**_

…

 _ **UO: Okay, some people did not get our last message about flaming. Now there is constructive criticism and then there is outright hate. In the remake of Regalia, some bozo who I won't name decided to hate the story because Hinata is used.**_

 _ **Hinata…reminds me of my relationship in some ways. She is nice, she doesn't like to hurt people and she is adorable. Writers chose to make her the way she is portrayed is because for a while that is the only way they remember her. Making her slutty is just not the way you should make Hinata. Regardless she is a character to be loved and she can easily change. Shy and useless she is not**_

 _ **As for those who do review like this, there are over 600K Naruto stories on this site alone. Not everyone likes the same pairing and thus we have this thing called choice. You don't like you don't read simple as that.**_

 _ **Kuro has become one of my best friends on this site. I will not see him demeaned like this all because of his choice of pairing. So take your opinions elsewhere especially if you don't have a story of your own. Write a story and then see how people respond to your criticism. So to all you haters out there...I hope you're ready for a war.**_

…

{Play: "Appreciate" by Paul McCartney}

[Unknown Location]

The sound of men and women enjoying a hot meal with a pint of strong liquor could be heard throughout the room as the jukebox played its tracks. Pub games were played, including a drinking game here and there, as well as cards, while the bartender served drinks and cleaned mugs and shots for the patrons. Even in their drunken stupor, everyone at the counter paid their respects to him, given that he was master of this place. His golden hair was tied up by a hitai-ate that had marked him as a Konoha shinobi, and his features belonged to a fit, thirty-year-old man that had seen his fair share of combat. He wore a white shirt with rolled up sleeves under a red vest as he cleaned another mug.

However, he was not alone in the bar, as there were multiple duplicates of him at regular intervals serving a variety of patrons. The drinks that they had were either classic liquors that had been served on tap, came in bottles, or were cocktails that were made on request. However, it also gave the bartender an opportunity to serve his own experimental brews to the patrons.

Given that it came with the territory, the bartender also provided a listening ear to patrons that wanted to talk; taking in stories of how they'd been killed in battle, as well as who they were in life. So far, he'd had several famous shinobi spilling their guts to him about their regrets in life, as well as the best fights ever in the more notable ones. All in all, it was very interesting when he too shared the stories he'd heard from other patrons.

"You mind hitting me again?" drawled a shinobi with a Konoha hitai-ate on his forehead as he sat on the stool. He had a ninjatō slung across his back, ready to be unslung at a moment's notice for combat.

"The usual, Gekkō?" asked the bartender, still cleaning the mug.

"Nah, I'd like to have something stronger this time," said Gekkō, "make me feel better after losing a duel today."

"How does the Black Magic sound?"

"Sounds like something that'll smack the depression out of me," said Gekkō, with an enthused look on his face, "What's in it?"

"A shot of stout beer, a good amount of whiskey, and my special spice mix in to give it a kick. Normally, I'd serve it during the winter, but it should wake you up, and energize you for a bit."

"Sounds good."

As the bartender went under the counter, he pulled out a mug, and a bottle that was labeled 'stout'. Pouring the stout beer into the mug, Gekkō watched as it was filled with a darkish liquid, before the reddish brown of the whiskey was then added. Next came the special spice mix of hot chili peppers that soaked in a bottle of vodka and vermouth. Once the mixture was done, the mug was slid over the counter to Gekkō's waiting hand. "Would you like a meal to go with that?"

"What's the day's special?"

"Today's game just so happens to be wild boar that was caught out in the forest. The Missus has a team butchering it right now."

Gekkō smiled. "Ah yeah, I never get tired of Kushina-sama's cooking. You're lucky to have married her when you were alive, Hokage-sama!"

"Please, Gekkō, no need for the formalities. Since I'm no longer Hokage, you can just call me Minato. So what'll it be?"

"I'd like a few ribs, thanks."

It'd been a good eight years since everyone had arrived in this place since he started work here in this ever-growing tavern. Minato knew what this place was, given that his mentor had sometimes brought him here: it was Valhalla, the Hall of the Slain. In its heyday, those who have been killed in battle would be brought here by Odin's Valkyries to eat, drink, fight, and pretty much party every day and night, waiting for the war at the end of days.

Admittedly, the place was a lot quieter since Odin pretty much sacrificed himself to give Naruto his gifts; but it was still lively enough, considering that a certain vulpine killer had been forced into working as a Valkyrie. He could hear a lot of stories from a lot of new people, as well as putting a few Iwa shinobi and kunoichi in their place whenever they picked a fight with him.

"Oi! You golden-haired little shit! Where the hell is my brandy?!"

Speak of the devil, and she doth come. The fire-haired woman had nothing but foul words to say as she walked into the tavern, before settling down on the counter right in front of him. Because Kushina had been harping on at her about being naked in front of the other patrons, Kurama now wore a cuirass, a bikini-bottom, and fur boots and spaulders. At her side was a long-bladed tsurugi-pattern sword that was designed to be used in one hand.

In all honesty, Minato found that he could not blame her. If he were to be given a restricted freedom to do nothing but to bring souls back here day and night, he'd have gone in a foul mood as well.

"Rough day?" he asked, pulling a bottle of the drink from the shelf, and serving it in a tumbler.

Instead of reaching for the tumbler, Kurama grabbed the bottle from Minato's hand just has he was finished pouring it. She then proceeded to gulp down quite a bit of the drink before setting it back down on the counter. "You wouldn't know the half of it."

"I can't leave the bar, so I wouldn't," said Minato, sighing in resignation before taking the tumbler of brandy in his hand, "you just want the usual appetizer, or do you want a meal with it?"

"Get me a pork chop," she drawled, before taking another swig from her bottle, "and another bottle of brandy. Kushina's put me on waitress duty again."

Minato finished his brandy, and went to the kitchen. It was never boring around here with how many stories he heard, coupled with the odd bar fight. Once he'd seen a food fight happening, which pissed off Kushina to no end. He just knew that if Jinya-sensei had ever heard of this place, she'd either drink herself into a frenzy, or she'd invite her fellow Sannin Tatsuya-sama here on a drinking binge in hopes of seducing him into a one-nighter.

He then turned his attention to a particular table in the bar. It was deliberately left empty, with signs saying that it was reserved for the master. It would be a long time before it would ever be occupied, considering how young Naruto was; but if he were to come, Minato and Kushina would find someone to take their place, and join him for drinks.

His danger-senses were on high alert, and Minato had bent backwards just in time to duck under something that was flying into his face. There was a loud 'splat', and 'poof' as he found himself looking at the remains of what he assumed was a shepherd's pie made with pulled pork. He then hazarded a glance through the bar, and found himself looking at a quartet of shinobi with mixed expressions on their faces; a ginger-haired kunoichi with her arm outstretched, a shinobi with his head down on the table, a red-haired kunoichi with her hands over her mouth, and a blond shinobi that leaned his head on his hand with his mouth agog.

Minato immediately ran to the kitchen, and banged on the door repeatedly. He was just about to open his mouth to cry out for the occupant, but was beaten to the punch when he heard two words that filled him with dread. "FOOD FIGHT!"

He face-palmed himself when he heard that. If he was lucky, Kushina had not heard that, and he could have an opportunity to join in the fun. He'd be roughed up in the end, but it'd be worth it to break the monotony for a bit. _Hope you're doing well, son!_

…

{Play: "Moon River (Climax Mix)" from "Bayonetta 2"}

[Somewhere in Konoha, eight years later]

The sound of paws scratching on the floor were heard as a large blur of indigo and silver fur had run through the streets of Konohagakure. It was followed by a second blur of silver and dark blue speeding up next to it. The two blurs of indigo and silver had begun to slow, revealing themselves to be a pair of massive Each one carried a customized side-bag loaded with boxes, but one of them had a rider on its back with a small throwing spears holstered near the saddle. It was a boy, no older than eight, and dressed in a white shirt and orange shorts. He had sun-kissed blond hair, and expressive cerulean-colored eyes; but his most distinguishing feature would be the three whisker-marks that flecked each of his cheeks. Holstered at the small of his back was a utility knife with an antler grip that was mounted in an ornate leather sheath.

As the rider dismounted from the gigantic wolf, he walked genially in between both of them, gently reaching his hands up as large ravens perched on each of his shoulders. In response, the wolves lowered their heads to meet his hands to be pet gratefully by the muzzle. "That's a good girl, both of you!" he said, nuzzling each wolf lovingly, "I tell you what; as soon as we're done with the day's deliveries, we're going to the butcher's."

The two wolves separated from the boy gently before they lowered themselves to the ground slowly, tails still wagging. "Just a few more deliveries, and we're done for now."

Before he could take another step, he paused to the sound of cawing from his shoulders. "Don't worry yourselves, I'll be sure to buy some extra for you both," he said, turning his attention to the ravens, "after all, you two are my scouts, so you deserve a little extra."

The boy walked towards the wolf with the satchel of packages, and brought out a small, square box from it. As he turned around, he had a look at the building he was walking towards. It was two stories high, and was fairly large. At the front of the beige building was a sign with the logo of a rod and a snake coiling around it, with a 'V' stamped in front of them both. Flanking both sides of the logo with the snake was a pair of red fang-marks that indicated that this was an Inuzuka-owned veterinary clinic. He knew this building well, because he'd come here yearly since he was five for regular appointments to make sure his animal helpers were in tip-top shape.

There was no need to rush, and so the boy took his time getting to the sliding doors. A quick 'whoosh' could be heard as he stepped into the veterinary clinic. "Ah! Naruto-kun! Good to see you!" came a feminine voice from behind a counter, "What brings you here?"

"Hi Hana, is your mom around?"

"Yeah, I think she's on a break right now." Hana thoughtfully said, before turning her attention to the stairs, "Mom! Naruto-kun's here!"

Naruto knew that the Inuzuka family lived above their clinic because he'd been invited once in a while for dinner. Whatever thoughts he had were interrupted when footsteps could be heard going down the wooden stairs. There, in all her glory was Inuzuka Tsume; matriarch of the Inuzuka clan, and mother of two lovely daughters. "Naruto-kun! Nice of you to drop by!" Her eyes then fell to the package in his hands. "Is that the parcel I ordered from the tannery?"

"Genda-san sends his regards."

"Thank-you! How much do I owe you?"

"200 ryō."

Tsume gratefully took the package from Naruto, and pulled out a purse. "So how are your two she-wolves doing?" she asked, searching for the bills.

"Freki and Geri are doing fine," answered Naruto, "they always look forward to seeing you and your family again. Huginn and Muninn too."

"Good. To be honest, birds aren't my specialty," she said, still searching her purse, "you're better off asking Shihodo-chan for help when dealing with them."

Naruto knew of whom Tsume was referring to. Uchiha Shihodo was a high-ranking member of the clan that had, unlike her brother Fūgaku, actually earned love and admiration from many of her fellow clan members. She'd set such a good example that her nephew Itachi had followed her close enough to become her protégé. Such was her skill that she came to be known as the "Karasu no Joō" because of her ability to summon ravens in a lot of her attacks, which complimented her naginatajutsu style. Apart from Itachi, she taught one person to summon crows: Sasuke's older twin sister Satsuki. Naruto also knew of her, because she was very interested in Huginn and Muninn, and she taught him how to speak to his ravens.

As soon as she found what she was looking for, Tsume fished out a 1000-ryō bill. "Take it, and keep the change."

"Tsume-sama, I can't do that," said Naruto, politely declining the bill, "I don't want to earn money from nothing."

"Just think of it as a bonus." countered Tsume. Just as Naruto was about to say something, she placed a finger over his lips, a pleading look in her eyes. "We both know you need it more than I do."

"Be that as it may, I can't take an extra 800 ryō for…" before he could say anymore, an idea had popped in his head, "unless you'd like to pay me to make a delivery?"

Seeing exactly what Naruto was getting at, Tsume could only smile deviously in joy. "Actually, I may have something for you!"

Tsume ran back upstairs to begin her search; a few silent minutes later, she had returned with a package in her hands. It was rectangular, had a square profile, and was roughly two feet long. "Take this to Higurashi-san's, will you?"

"Are you sure that's all?"

"No, I'm paying you an extra 600 ryō to keep Kira company."

Naruto wondered exactly what she was talking about until he turned around to see a particular sight that never failed to make him smile. Hugging Freki with her tiny arms was a little girl around his age. She wore a gray, fur-lined hoodie while a small puppy seemed to be laying down further away in a gesture that he learned was one of submission. The two wolves were wagging their tails as they looked on at the girl. "I'll make sure she gets back in one piece."

"Take care, Naruto-kun!"

The second she saw that Naruto was out of earshot, Hana watched as Naruto was greeted by a very passionate hug from her sister. After a few silent words, the two of them rode off on the back of Naruto's she-wolves. Even since they were babies, they were nearly inseparable. "They look so cute together."

"I know." said Tsume, a melancholy look in her eyes.

"You still can't let go of him, can you?" asked Hana, a slightly betrayed look in her eyes for her mother.

"Are you talking about your father?"

"Him too, but I'm talking about the _other_ man."

Tsume let out a long, depressed sigh. "Don't get me wrong, I still love your father; and I believe that the Yondaime Hokage made a good choice when he married my friend. It's just that I still dream about what could have been once in a while…not because I don't love you and Kira, but out of curiosity."

Hana went back to work, while Tsume went back upstairs. It was a slow day, but that could change at any moment.

…

[Streets of Konoha, minutes later]

"So how's life, Naruto-kun?" asked Kira, holding on to Naruto. She was seated right behind him as Geri padded through at a medium pace.

"It's okay. Just a lot of stuff to do today." answered Naruto, keeping his hands on Geri's fur.

"I heard business is slow with your delivery service."

"Where'd you hear that?"

"Word gets around."

It was true. Naruto had started his delivery service a little over a year and a half after deciding to pay back the Ichiraku family for taking him in. He'd grown up with Ayame as his big sister, and Teuchi as a father, and the days they shared were enjoyable. He knew he was not Teuchi's son, but Naruto didn't care; he wouldn't trade the good times for anything.

The apartment they stayed in was small, and so accommodations were made for the animals due to their protectiveness of him. Huginn and Muninn stayed in his and Ayame's room, while Freki and Geri acted as guard dogs to stop people getting inside. Overall, he'd been raised in a loving environment, and taught many things while growing up.

It was due to this love that Naruto felt the need to repay the Ichiraku family. And so he decided to start up a delivery service with cooperation from the animals. He would also collaborate with the Ichiraku family by delivering ramen to various houses. Unfortunately, because there weren't a lot of people that liked him, he didn't get a lot of orders for deliveries; plus, there were people that outright refused to pay him. It was not exactly a thankful job, but at least he was putting into practice something that Teuchi-san taught him: it's always okay to enjoy life, to walk the path you like, but always find time to give something back.

"Well, I wish it were better." he finally said.

"You and me both," replied Kira, looking on in sympathy, "I hate to see you having a hard time at work like this."

"We're here." said Naruto, as Geri stopped. She then lay down on all fours, allowing Naruto to dismount. He then went to the satchel, and found

The Higurashi Arsenal was a place that was well-known for making the finest weapons and armor for the shinobi of Konohagakure no Sato. The owner was Higurashi Himiko, a woman that had a love for weapons and armor; especially armor, which got her into arguments with her daughter Tenten over which was the superior form of art. Both members of the Higurashi family had an extensive collection of antique weapons and armor that the mother-daughter duo constantly tried to one-up each other, both in their collections and in their crafts.

Naruto walked into the doors to the arsenal, and found a familiar sight that he was never tired of ever seeing. On the left side, he saw a suit of golden armor with blue highlights. It had rounded shoulder guards, and underneath the skirt armor was a rich red cloth that went over the leg armors. It was lined with a dark blue cloth that worked somewhat like an undersuit to serve as a cushion between the wearer and the armor. It was clear to him from the get-go that this was a king's armor due to how nice it looked. Naruto doubted that a golden suit of armor would've been practical anyway.

To the right, he saw a strange suit of red and black. The silken jacket at the top went to the bottom of the rib cage, and gave way to a pair of metal domes that protected the wrists, while a red skirt-like cloth of the same material was tied by a belt to cover the legs. Underneath the red, there was a cuirass of hardened black leather shaped to the contours of the adult male body, and the legs were garbed in soft leather with belts battened down the pants. The black leather boots were reinforced with a few plates of metal that covered the toes, and the area in front of the ankles.

Both suits were placed over mannequins that wore them, and placed in such a manner as to flank the cash register like bodyguards protecting the clerk.

"Naruto-kun!" Naruto turned around to see that he was face-to-crotch with a woman that aged well for a 42-year-old mother. There were rumors that Higurashi Himiko was wealthy beyond all reason, and he could see why. Her pointed features were framed with golden hair that seemed to be made from strands of gilded silk, while she looked down on him with pearls inlaid with rubies. Even her skin looked like it was made of white gold. However, the way she carried herself had spoken volumes of a life that was not spent sitting down doing nothing. "What can I do for you?"

"Tsume-sama told me to get this to you," said Naruto, presenting her with the parcel. "I didn't want to make money from nothing."

"That's a good work ethic." said Himiko, taking the package from Naruto's hands and placing it on the table. She pulled out a knife from the small of her back, and began cutting along the tape. Curious, Naruto decided to stay to see what was in the package, watching as Tenten's mother opened the box. "Oh good! She finally managed to find it!"

Himiko pulled the items from the box, revealing their forms to the world. They were twin swords, one with a white blade, the other black; each sword had a two-foot-long blade, and their grips accommodated a single hand. The white blade seemed normal enough, while the black one had a hexagonal pattern carved into it that glowed. Each one had a yin-yang inlaid onto the hilt. "I've been looking everywhere for these!" began Higurashi Himiko, "Now the set will be complete!"

"What set?" asked the eager voice of a little girl from behind. Tenten had climbed up the stool, poking her head up over the table to see what it was that had just arrived. Her eyes had widened upon recognizing the weapons that were on the table. "Hah~! Are those Kanshō and Bakuya?"

"So what? They're mine!"

"I don't see your name on them!"

Naruto remained silently amused at what he was seeing. It was common for him to see the mother-daughter duo arguing. This was mainly because their hobbies intersected with each other's collections. However, in spite of all that, he had a feeling that they weren't really serious with their fights. Either way, he had finished with today's deliveries. Now he had an heiress to return to her mother before he could call it a day.

…

[Ichiraku family apartment, that night]

The moonlight was broken up by the clouds, but it was still a pretty clear night.

Two figures sat on the balcony, looking in through the sliding door at the sleeping boy inside the room. They were savage and beautiful women with generous assets held up by corsets, and fiery orange hair that curled beneath the wolf pelts they wore on their heads. Their eyes were like snowballs inlaid with bluish-green gems. They both looked alike, having lean and powerful bodies made with more muscle than fat concealed under form-fitting leather pants and boots, and alluringly lupine features that were lightly dusted with freckles. Each woman was covered in blue runic tattoos on their arms, and over their eyes on opposite sides; one woman had them on her right side, the other had them on her left.

They could not help but look on with pride in the boy.

"Who would've thought the lad would grow up so well?" asked the woman with the tattoos on her right side.

"Aye, he really did get lucky." answered the other woman, as Huginn and Muninn perched on their shoulders. "To be bloody honest, me wee sister, I dinnae think that fugly old monkey would get it right."

"I'm in agreement with ye, Freki."

"Ye think he's ready for the Well yet, Geri?"

"I cannae say. I don't know for sure. What about ye, ye bloody bags of feathers?"

Huginn and Muninn cawed. Freki and Geri grinned, revealing their sharpened canines to the world. "Oh, now that calls for a bloody celebration!" said Geri.

"That indeed. I say we head tae the boozer…even if it's for the little things."

"I wonder if that bloody fox is still drinking her bloody sorrows away."

"Serves her right it does…"

…

 _ **A/N: Not much of any action here, but at least it's a chapter. Hopefully, I've whet your appetite for this story for now…**_

…

 _ **Vocabulary:**_

 _ **Freki and Geri─those would be Odin's wolves; here, they are werewolves that can shapeshift between wolf-form, half-wolf form, and human form.**_

…

 _ **Cameos/References:**_

 _ **Armors─It should be pretty obvious whose armors those are, especially if you follow the Fate series.**_


End file.
